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VoluntEar

November 4, 2009 - Karin Elton

I volunteered at the vision and hearing screening Tuesday at the Marshall Middle School. Two hearing machines were set up in a cleared-out janitor’s closet near the theater.

Last year I was a kid wrangler and told students where they needed to go next or if they were done, took their yellow sheets. That was fun as I teased the kids a little. I wanted that job again this year because it was easy and fun, but was told that the nursing staff was short on volunteers and I was needed to test hearing. It worked out well because I learned something new — how to operate that hearing tester. I got to rotate dials and push buttons. What could be cooler?

I beckoned the kids into the janitor’s closet with, “come into my evil lair,” and “here, sit in the naughty chair,” a chair that was facing a corner. Just a few kids responded with amusement. The rest thought, “Who’s this weird adult?”

One kid in particular was not impressed with the room. “Is the other room better?” he said. (There were two testing rooms.) He was assured that these were deluxe accommodations and this room was much better than the other one.

Once again, I urge people to volunteer at their kids’ schools. Men can even take a couple hours out of their day to do that, as it seems like mostly women volunteer at the schools.